– identify or give an interpretation of the objective of the author / speaker.

2. actual oral comprehension :

– learn thematic lists of vocabulary (related to the topic you have been studying, but also basic themes you will be expected to know),

– get used to the pronunciation of the words you learn, by getting your lists of vocabulary into an MP3 file (use text to speech tools for that). When you learn the vocabulary, also learn how it is pronounced. Try different accents 😉

– if you don’t understand every single word that is pronounced, don’t worry. Focus on the general meaning, and lean on the context, and if possible, use the visual clues.

Just do it !

Here, for example, you have a video. Watch it twice, then try and present it in French (record yourself). Respect time limits.

Did you know that you can use apps on your mobile phone or on a website which transform any text you suggest to them into a speech ? Some websites even provide an .mp3 file which you can download. Most of the time, you can change the voice, and the accent as well. It’s not always convincing in a general manner, but at least it gives you a precise rendition of how each word should be pronounced.

I think these may be precious tools to help you improve the quality of your oral expression, and even your listening comprehension.

When you discover a word in the dictionary and you want to know how to pronounce it, there is a very “simple” tool to use : the phonetic alphabet. You have to get familiar with the symbols and the sound they represent in the first place though… You can find phonetic indications in every dictionary.

On January 15, 2009, a commercial flight had to “land” on the Hudson River, right in the middle of New York, just a few minutes after taking off from La Guardia Airport.

The plane had crossed the trajectory of a flock of birds, and it appears that the two engines went down. The pilot, Chesley B. Sullenberger, nicknamed “Sully”, and his first officer, Jeffrey Skiles, managed to take the plane and its 154 passengers, crew members included, safely to the ground. This type of “landing” was the first of its kind.

Real video of the event :

News report :

Maybe you were too young to remember this incredible accident, but Clint Eastwood, the famous American actor and film director, wants you to think again about this extraordinary story. So he made a movie about it !

Sully is being released today in the USA, and it will be released on November 30 in France. You can watch the trailer for now.